A comprehensive process

Deradicalisation is a comprehensive process that takes full commitment. No deradicalisation strategy can be effective without a clear roadmap.

Lack of inclusiveness means little engagement in the process and guarantees no effective outcomes.

A successful strategy should operate on short-, middle- and long-term level, and must have effective communication channels.

Education is the key basis on which to build this process, but is cannot simply rely on slight modifications to the curriculum, which will likely result in superficial changes.

What about the teachers who are teaching the curriculum? How are the messages delivered to students? What mistakes were made in the past and how to ensure that they are not made again?

The moment the classroom doors are closed, the teacher is the one who decides what to teach, so the curriculum and textbooks must focus on humanitarian values and pluralism.

It should be made impossible to hide these key messages.

While education is key, a successful process cannot rely on a single aspect; there should be a multi-pronged strategy that is more of a cultural revolution than mere change in the school curriculum.

The school must become a place where children and teens live normal lives, exposed to sports, culture, art and non-academic activities, including fostering hobbies.

If this does not happen in parallel with the normal school curriculum, the problems we face will only get worse as we waste time engaged in superficial debates about whether pictures in books have images of women who are not veiled.

Moreover, we need decisive political action to impose change.

The protection of our society is most important, and changes must be imposed in a way that appeals to people.

We are seeking cultural change in a society that has been subject to ongoing change for many years. We are bringing together many people and many cultures into a single national identity. 

We must accept that pluralism can be scary and accepting others is difficult.

Some will take to conspiracy theories about a hidden power behind the changes, but most of that is driven by those who are afraid of losing or diluting the social status they currently enjoy.

We can take our lead from Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who launched a war against radicalism at both theory and practical level. 

Last year he planted the roots of pluralism and stressed the right of people to practise their religion and express their various beliefs when he allocated land for Abu Dhabi’s first Hindu temple. And last week, he visited the Vatican and met with Pope Francis.

What we need in Jordan today is to apply a multifaceted, comprehensive strategy that has clear objectives and is driven by our political leaders.

[email protected]